100 Years Short
by Michiganlex
Summary: Cupcake story written for and read at Plumvention 2006. Contains short scenes set to Five for Fighting's 100 Years. One shot.


**Name: Lex**

**Title: 100 Years**

**Spoilers: None**

**Type: Cupcake**

**Disclaimer: Lyrics by _Five for Fighting_ all else the property of Janet Evanovich. I own nothing.**

**Notes: Thanks to Rib for editing and convincing me not to discard this story - she knows I would have **

**never come up with anything else. Also thanks to the great people at Plumvention for listening and not **

**falling asleep - that I noticed. LOL The last scene was first posted as a challenge response at BC.**

**100 Years**

I'm 15 for a moment.

Caught in between 10 and 20.

And I'm just dreaming.

Counting the ways to where you are.

Mary Lou kissed the piece of paper she was holding before throwing it on a small fire that she and her best friend, Stephanie,

had made using old newspaper, dry leaves and a little gas. Both fifteen, they had been friends a decade, having hooked up

on the first day of kindergarten. Mary Lou had heard from Lacey Montoya who'd heard from Michelle Rogers whose Grandma

had told her (and everyone knew that Michelle's Grandma knew about such things) that if you wrote your dearest wish on a piece

of paper and kissed it before throwing it in a fire, that wish would come true. Both girls had big dreams. Dreams that seemed

impossibly big for two girls from Chambersburg. They had nothing to lose as long as no one found out.

"Your turn," Mary Lou whispered as the paper curled and turned to ash. Stephanie closed her eyes and grasped the piece of paper

tightly in her fist. Wishing with all her heart that what she'd written…. her dearest wish…. would come true. She tossed the paper

into the fire and watched as it burned, hoping with every fibre of her being that this wish would come true. Stephanie and Mary Lou

sat on the pavement and watched the fire burn.

"What did you wish for?" Mary Lou asked. Stephanie glanced at her.

"Am I supposed to say?" she asked warily.

"Are you not supposed to say?" Mary Lou countered. The girls considered this but the dreams were too big to keep to themselves.

"You first," Stephanie said. Mary Lou nodded and stared solemnly and reverently into the fire before answering.

"I want to marry Lenny and become a famous model. Lenny and I will travel around the world and go to all the really best romantic

places." Mary Lou and Lenny had been in love for a long time so Stephanie could see Mary Lou's dream happening.

"I'll miss you a lot," Stephanie said, hugging her friend impulsively.

"I'll fly you to Paris, or wherever we are, whenever you want," Mary Lou generously offered. "What did you wish for?" Stephanie

paused before answering, carefully considering her words. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Fire!" a voice called. There was a commotion from the alley. Mary Lou and Stephanie jumped up. They hadn't realized the amount

of smoke their little fire was giving off until they scrambled to their feet in surprise. They heard a man shouting but couldn't see him

through the haze.

"Drop!" another voice yelled. Stephanie recognized that voice. Joe Morelli. He was a few years older, and the object of every

male-driven fantasy she'd ever had. She grasped Mary Lou's hand and the girls fell to their knees only to be soaked as a large

quantity of water sailed over them.

"What the hell are you doing back here?" someone asked. Stephanie wiped her eyes and looked up into Joe's very amused face.

"N-nothing," she said, shaking slightly as the cool air cut through her soaked shirt. "J-just decided to have a fire." She looked over

at Mary Lou who nodded loyally.

"We were cold," she said. Joe looked over at the other men. Stephanie instantly recognized them as Joe's brother and cousin.

The three of them were smiling broadly.

"Sweet Stephanie Plum, there's no heat in your house?" he asked. "What are you really doing starting fires back here?" He kneeled

next to her and leaned forward slightly so that Stephanie felt like she was locked in his chocolate gaze. She steeled herself knowing

that this might be her only chance for Joe to notice her.

She tried to look sultry by nearly closing her eyes and leaning forward.

"Maybe I knew that you'd come running," she said in her best purr. Joe laughed and pecked her lips gently.

"That's good, kid. Call me in a few years maybe we'll do…something. Get inside and get warm." He jumped up and the men left the

alley. Stephanie sat very still watching them go before raising a hand to her lips.

"It worked," she whispered, "It really worked."

I'm 22 for a moment

She feels better than ever

And we're on fire

Making our way back from Mars

Stephanie sat on the ground in the alley trying to control her emotions. Her Pepto Bismol pink dress gleamed in the low light. The

first day of her best friend's married life was the last of her own with Dickie. She'd stopped at home on her way from buying

Mary Lou's wedding gift and found her own husband of less than a year on the kitchen table with the local sperm bank, Joyce

Barnhardt. She shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the image of Dickie propped between the spread eagle legs of the other

woman – who Stephanie knew now with a surety she'd never desired was not a true redhead.

The door opened and hit her, catching her dress as it started to swing shut. Stephanie registered the draft against her upper thigh

before noticing the dreaded sound of tearing faux satin. She looked up. As if things couldn't get worse. Joe Morelli. The man who

had taken her virginity and never called or sent a thank you note. She'd gotten her revenge by clipping him with her father's car and

breaking his leg. He had a woman that Stephanie didn't recognize with him. His type, she thought bitterly. Tall, blonde and busty and

dressed in something that couldn't have passed for a handkerchief on anyone else. Joe whispered in the blonde's ear and she

giggled. Stephanie prayed that they'd keep walking. Never a lucky person, she thought as Joe turned to look at her.

"Stephanie?" He asked. As if her ripped maid of honor dress wasn't an independent light source. She didn't answer. What was the

point? He turned to the blonde and whispered to her and she went back into the hall. Joe slipped his hands into the pockets of his

suit pants and leaned a shoulder back against the wall crossing his legs at the ankle. He looked sexy as hell and he needed to get

away from her as soon as possible.

"You okay?" He asked after a moment.

"Perfect. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked belligerently. He raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so," he slid down the wall and settled next to her. "I haven't been to a lot of weddings so I just thought it was kind of odd to

find the maid of honor sitting on the ground outside looking like she's about to slit the throat of the first man to come along."

"Not the first man, just you," she said petulantly. Joe laughed which made her mood a little darker still.

"What are you even doing here?"

"You know the Morelli's, we're related to nearly everyone somehow." He said, shrugging.

"Not me," the words burst forth before she could stop them. Joe's eyes turned to melted chocolate as he cupped her face.

"Lucky me, Cupcake, lucky me." He kissed her cheek softly before rising and walking slowly away.

I'm 33 for a moment

Still the man, but you see I'm a they

A kid on the way

A family on my mind

"Joe, I'm not sure that I want to do this. Please, don't make me do this."

"It was your idea. I wasn't even thinking about doing anything like this until you insisted we should. It's too late to back out now.

Nowhere to go but down." Joe looked down at the ground 6,000 feet below. "You wanted to live before we got married, remember?

You'd only agree to marry me if we did this together. It's completely worth it to take a little skydive with you if it means I get to spend

the rest of my life with you." Stephanie stared him incredulously. She'd never heard anything quite so stupid before.

"The 'rest of our life' could very well be the next five minutes." She pointed out. Joe shrugged. "So we spend them together. Come

on, Cupcake. You wanted to be wild and crazy and this is your chance."

"What if I told you I was pregnant?" Stephanie asked. Every muscle in Joe's body froze.

"Are you?" he asked as calmly as possible. Stephanie paused before responding.

"No," she admitted.

"Why would you say that then?" Joe asked. He was struck with an idea. The one thing that might get her to jump. He had to try.

"You're probably right. If you're scared, you shouldn't do this." He looked down again which did make him feel a bit queasy. He'd

jumped in the military but it had never been his favorite thing. "We can talk about what comes next when we're back on the ground.

He inched back to the bench and sat down. "I should have known you'd never carry through." Stephanie's eyes narrowed and she

watched him carefully.

"You don't think I can do it," she guessed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Cupcake," he began. She turned to their instructor – a younger surfer dude with a carefree attitude.

"I'm ready," she said grimly before pausing at the door and jumping out. Joe smiled as he made his way to the door and gripped

the sides in preparation to follow. Once they hit the ground, their life together would begin and he could hardly wait.

I'm 45 for a moment

The sea is high

And I'm heading into a crisis

Chasing the years of my life

Stephanie sat in the hospital waiting room and prayed. It was odd, she and God hadn't really been on speaking terms for a while but

she needed help. Her oldest child, Tony, had just turned 12 and he sat holding her hand in a vice grip. He was so like Joe. A dry

sense of humor and a rock in a crisis. They already had girls calling the house to talk to him. Girls calling! Joe just laughed it off but

she worried about the sort of girls chasing after her son and if he might show the family tendency to susceptibility. She could

remember a day when girls never dared call boys and it just made her feel old…but not old enough to die. And not old enough to

accept Joe dying. He was way too young and the world still needed him – she still needed him. Tony sensed his mother tensing

and squeezed her hand.

"He'll be okay, mom," he said with a conviction he clearly didn't feel. His eyes watered and he manfully held back the tears that

threatened to spill.

She wasn't convinced. Joe, a vice detective with the Trenton PD had been off duty when he walked into a hostage situation. A man

distraught over his wife leaving him had taken his children hostage. He placed himself between the man and his children and gave

himself to allow the others the time to get away. For his efforts, he'd been shot. Why would he do that? Didn't he know she needed

him?

"He saved those kids," Tony said interrupting her thoughts. "He will be okay. He has to be okay." El, her youngest, sensing something

was wrong toddled over and attempted to climb on to her mother's lap. Stephanie absentmindedly picked up the toddler and

smoothed her dark curls. He had to make it through. He couldn't leave her. El's chubby arms went around her neck and it was all so

clear. She knew why Joe had done what he did and how he could do it. He was thinking of his own children. She pulled the four

children into a bear hug and buried her face in El's curls. Stephanie held her children tightly until someone coughed. She looked up

to see the doctor.

"I have good new, Mrs. Morelli. Joe's surgery went well. He's not in the clear yet but I don't see any reason that he won't recover fully."

The tears she'd been holding in for so long broke into violent sobs as she pulled her children close around her.

Half time goes by

Suddenly you're wise

Another blink of an eye

67 is gone

The sun is getting high

We're moving on...

Stephanie sat in front of the massive mahogany desk in her husband's office, a fine film of tears blurring her vision. Her husband of

50 years had passed away 2 days before their anniversary almost a year ago. There were times she still expected him to come

from around the corner and enfold her in his arms as he'd done so many times before. She'd squeal with laughter and he'd

kiss the top of her head tell her that he loved her. His tone so soft sometimes that she wasn't sure if he'd said it or if the phrase was

reflected from her memory. She shook off the tears and tried to focus on the paper in front of her.

El, their youngest, had offered several times to go through the desk for her mother and Stephanie had refused. It was almost as

though she knew a part of her husband laid hidden in it's drawers and wanted to keep it for herself…. in her own time. A private

whisper between the man he was and the wife he'd loved. She looked down at the paper again. He'd never been sick. It was a

shock when he died. He'd been sleeping in his recliner. The dog was next to him and a grandchild was on his lap, as usual. One

minute he was there and the next he was gone. Stephanie had been happy that he'd gone so peacefully and a bit envious. She now

had to go on without him . He'd had her heart and soul for the last 50 years…. and would have her until the day she died.

He'd planned a surprise celebration for them and had written his speech. When she opened the drawer earlier in order to clean out

his papers, it was lying there as though waiting for him to come...waiting to be read to friends and family. Stephanie glanced at the

paper again. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever read. She wiped her eyes, picked the paper up and read again.

_What can I say about Stephanie? She's lived her life on thin ice. When I married her, I had no idea that we'd have _

_50 years together. She was invincible but I always thought my heart would go while she moved from_

_one scrape to the next. But here we are, 50 years and four kids later. More in love than the day we married._

_Stephanie, I want you to know that every day that I have lived with you has been the happiest day of my_

_life. I've yelled and been angry and we've argued but, even then, I was better for having spent that day with_

_you. You are my heart and my life and I never wanted to be anywhere but on thin ice with you._

She wiped her eyes again and placed the paper gently back on the desk. He'd never been good with saying what he felt, she'd

thought it a male thing. Even so, while she'd always known that he loved her, she'd just never known that this was inside. She heard

footsteps outside of the room and her heart leaped only to realize that it couldn't be him. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Mom?" It was El. She probably wanted to talk about her wedding. Stephanie glanced at the paper before sliding it into the drawer.

This one was for her alone. She glanced at a wedding photo he'd kept on the desk. A much younger Stephanie smiled back at her

and her vision blurred again as she gazed at the happy and vital young man at her side. She mentally threw the young man a kiss.

"I never wanted to be anywhere but on thin ice with you either," she said softly before calling El into the room.

I'm 99 for a moment

Dying for just another moment

And I'm just dreaming

Counting the ways to where you are


End file.
